Process of sealing vertical coking chambers



Patented July 3, 1923.

UNITI-:D .sr

TENT FFICQE.v

JOSEF SCHFEB, 0F DORTMUND, GERMANY.

Pnocnss or sEaLINe VERTICAL 'comme cnmanns.

Application led December 3, 1920. Serial No. 328,171.

To all t may concern Be it known that I, JOSEF SCHFER, al

citizen of Germany, anda resident of Dortmund, in the Republic of Prussia, Germany,

5 have invented certain new and useful Improvements in. Processes of Sealing Vertical Coking Chambers 'and the like (for which I have tiled applicatiohs in Germany, April' 28, 1919, Patent No. gium, June 28, 1920, Patent No. 288,000; France, June 30, 1920, Patent No. 518,350; and England, July 2, 1920, Patent No. 145,782), of which the following is a specification. Hitherto the sealing of vertical cokingchambers, or vertical retorts of coke-ovens, gas-works and similar industrial plants employed in the manufacture of gas has been accomplished vby a vwater-seal. This 90 was obtained by filling a stationary tray or the like with water, into which the lower part of said chambers or retorts dipped directly, or by means of an air-cooled ex tension, as is generally the case in continuous retorts. In the first instance, where' the coke comes into direct contact with .the water-seal when still in a highly incandescent state, the water'ismade to boil so violently, v'that suddenly much. steam is gen- 320 erated which under considerable pressure generally forces the seal. In the second instance, where the uninterruptedly descending coke has lost much of its heat before it comes into con.-

tact with the water-seal, the generation of.

steam is on'the contrary wholly insuiiicient.

In both cases the steam is therefore not generated in such a manner as to obtain the best results when it is mixed with thev gases 40 to expel the latter from the coking-chambers or retorts, because such steam not produced in the rproper proportion to the amount of gases being. generated. 4To attain this proper proportion,

of the steam must regulate itself automatically during the entire process of. tillation.

. Another serious disadvantage of these water-seals is that the vcoke must be removed 50. through the water-seal intermittently by hand, orcontmuously by mechanical means, which operations unduly mcrease the expenses -of manufacture.

' The object of my presentinvention is to 331,253; Bel-' its way outwards throughy the generation dry dissur. t., 131s.)

avoid the drawbacks of the water-seals now in use. I attain this end by a `process of sealing according` to which in the dischargeopening of eachcoking-cha-mber or retort, a moist-seal is arranged, which sucks up like a sponge the water subsequently tol be converted into steam and presents such water to the more or less incandescent material in the exact proportion required' at the different stages of the process of 'dry-distillation. Incontra-distinction to this the mouth of each cokingfchainber or retort is sealed by a granular dry-seal, which on ybeing broken up for introducing a new charge automatically renews the granular constituent of the moist-seal destroyed by the discharge of the finished coke.

By means of this new process it becomes possible to generate at every stage of drydistillati'on the required volume fosteam` quite automatically; further, to use the same sealing-agent successively for building up two seals of quite different wayso operation; and finally to discharge the carbona# ceous product of dry-distillation more conveniently and at a smaller expense than hitherto.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of avertical coking-chamber sealed in accorda'nc'e with my present invention, and Figure 2 is a similar view thereof taken on line A-B at right angles to Figure'l.

The discharge-opening r1 of the vertical coking-chamber 2 is closed by means. of a tray 3 hinged by pins 4 to brackets 5.- These brackets are secured by a plurality of bolts 6 toY an I-beam 7 The discharge-opening 1 is inclosed by an oblong frame 8. The lower'edge .9 of this frame Ireaches below the .rim .10 of the tray 3 which, is locked fin its horizontal position by 'one or more fingers 11 of the' oscillating shaft 12. To secure the latter in its locking position it may beprovided with one, ter-weighted arms 13, as shown, any other vsuitable locking-means. The shaft 12 is journaled in brackets 14 secured by a plurality of bolts` 15 to an I-beam 16 and may be manipulated by means of a lever, hand-wheel or any other suitable de# vice (not shown To form an e ective` seal at this junction of the frame 8 and the tray 3 a granular or with or several counl sealing-agent 17, preferably coke-ashes, is introduced into the discharge-opening 1 through the hopper 18. By capillary action,

these coke-ashes draw up the water supplied by the water-pipes 19 to the tray 3 and form in conjunction with this water the moist-seal 2O always ready to supply the necessary water for t-he generation of steam in such quantities as demanded at any particular stage of the process 'of dry-distillation. The charge 21 preferably coal`r provided' for the generation of gas is introduced into the coking-chamber through the hopper 18 and arranges itself upon `the moist seal 20. Finally the cover 22 is introduced into the hopper and-at the junction of both parts a gas-tight dry-seal 23 is produced by filling: the oblong cavity 24 formed thereby with a granular sealing-agent of exactly the same nature as employed for the moist-seal 20, i.e. coke-ashes.

The operation of .the coking-chamber when using my new process of sealing is as follows i At the beginning of the dry-distillation the generation of gases will naturallyv be slow so vthat the volume of steam necessary for mingling with these gases and driving them from the coling-chamber ,into the gas-l conduit 25v will be but small. This condition is assured by the fact that the low incandescence of the contents of the cokingchamber can evaporate but a small part of the water held in readiness by the moist-seal 20. When, however, the incandescence of the contents of the coking-chamber vreaches a. higher degree. more water will in consequence thereof be evaporated to mingleas steam with the greater volume of gases developed at this stage of the process of drydistillation and to drive them oil. For the same reason the greatest volume of steam will be generated at the close of the distillation-process although the volume of gases developed at this part of the distillationprocess will be smaller than previously when the contents of t-he coking-c'hamber still con` taining a far greater amount of volatile matter than at the close of the distillationprocess. ,But the amount of steam that might be saved on account of the smaller volumeof gases is fully required by the comparatively great rise in the temperature of the gases developed at this final part of the distillation-process. This smaller volume of gases is due to the fact that at this final stage of dry-distillation the contents of ther coking-chamber constitute ay carbonaceous body almost free from volatile constituents. The comparatively great supiply Aof steam tothese highly heated gases most effectivelyV prevents the decomposition of the ammonia contained therein, the lparticles of which the steam envelops and pro--v tects like a cloak.

After the coal has been completely converted' into coke the tray 3 is swung aside and the coke thus deprived of its support will leave the coking-ch-amber and in so'y doing destroys the moist-seal 20. In order to preparesaid chamber for a new operation the tray is swung .back again into its working position and is locked therein by the aid of the fingers 11. To renew the moist-seal 20 as well as the charge 21 the cover 22 must be removedv and in so doing the` dry-seal 23 is destroyed and the coke-ashes previously used in buildincr up .this dry-seal will drop down through the coking-chamber, collectvon the tray 3` and fill the discharge-opening l anew. The same coke-ashes previously employed in building up a dry-seal 23 will thus be used again 'for building up a moist` seal 2O adapted to perform its function as soon as the tray 3 is supplied with water. After a new charge has been introduced' and thel cover 22 reinserted, a new dry-seal 23 will be built up by a fresh supply of cokeashes, whereupon the dry-distillation may be recommenced. y

l claim 1. The process of sealing vertical cokingchambers and the like by first, closing the discharge-opening thereof by a granular sealing-agent; second, keeping a liquid in contact with said sealing-agent for forming a moist-seal adapted to draw 'said liquid up by capillary action and to'hold it in readiness for evaporation as demanded by the process of dry-distillation; third,'sealing the y charging mouth of Vsaid coking-chambers by a dry-seal consisting'of a granular sealingagentof the same nature as utilized in said moist-seal; fourth, removing said moistseal by opening the discharge-opening and discharging the carbonaceous product of thy-distillation; y fifth, closing said discharge-'opening and sixth, automatically transferring t-he granular sealing-agent of said dry-seal to said closed discharge opening for utilizing it as a sealing-agent in the building up of the subsequent moist-seal when said dry-seal is being broken up for the admission of a new charge, substantially as specified.

2. The process of sealing vertical cokingchambers and the like by first, closing the discharge-opening lthereof by coke-ashes; second, keeping water in contact with said coke-ashes to form a moist-seal for drawing said water up by'capillary action and to hold such water in readiness for its conversion into steam b the process of dry-distillation; thirdssealmg the charging mouth of said @cking-chambers by a dry-seal consisting of coke ashes; fourth, opening the discharge-opening to discharge said moistseal together with the finished coke; fifth, closing said discharge-opening; and sixth, transferring t-he coke-ashes of said dry-seal automatically to said discharge-opening for utilizing said coke-ashes in the buildlng up of a new moist-seal when said dry-seal is broken up for the admission of a new charge, substantially as specified.

3. The process of operating upright coking-chambers and the like, which consists in first, introducing a granular sealingagent into the closed discharge-opening of such chamber or the like; second, char ing the chamber with the material intende to be subjected to dry distillation and heating such material; third, supplying a liquid to said sealing agent .to transform it into -a moist-seal adapted to draw vsaid liquid upward by capillary action and to present such liquid to said charge during the rocess of dry-distillation; fourth, sealing t e charging mouth of said chamber by a dry-seal composed of a granular sealing-agent of the same nature as the sealing agent of said moist-seal; fifth, removing ysaid moist-seal by the discharge of the dry-distillation product from said chamber; sixth, closing said discharge-opening; seventh, breaking up said dry-seal for the vintroduction of a new charge into the said chamber; and eighth, transferring the dbris of said dry-seal by gravity to the closed discharge opening and utilizing such dbris in the building-up of a new moist-seal.

4. The process lof o rating upright coking-chambers and the ike, which consists in first, introducing coke-ashes into the closed discharge-opening of such chamber or the like; second, charging such chamber with coal and subjecting said coal to dry-distillation; third supplying Water to said cokeashes to produce a moist-seal adapted to` .the conversion of such water into steam;

fourth, sealing the charging mouth of such chamber by 'a dry-seal composed of cokeashes; fifth, removing said moist seal and discharging the finished coke from such chamber; sixth, again closing the dischargeopening of such chamber; seventh, breaking up said dry-seal to clear the Way for the introduction of a new charge into said chamber; and eighth, transferring the dbris of said dry-seal by gravity to s'aid vclosed discharge-openi and utilizing such dbris for building up o anew moist-seal.

5. An upright coking chamber or the like, having a charging opening at the top, with a seat at the inner rtion of said opening, means for temporarlly sealing the lower end of said chamber, and a cover arranged to engage said seat and out of engagement, when seated, with the upper portion of said opening, thus leaving a space in said openping, above the cover, `for the reception of a sealing material.

Signed by me Dortmund, Germany, this 5 day of November i JOSEF scHrER.

* Witnesses:

ERNST J Aoos, O'rro BODE. 

